Syria has become the crucible for a number of separate wars, battles for power and influence, for regional resources and access, for strategic location and military expansion.

The sharp increase in arms supplies, funding and technical support from the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and others has dramatically boosted the rebels' fortunes, as well as the death toll.

The US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey have established a secret base near the Syrian border to help direct vital military and communications support to Assad's opponents.

Those who want NATO to intervene "humanely" in Syria often say that Syria will not be like Iraq. They are right: it would be much worse, and could also be the prelude for war on Iran.

Whatever our humanitarian concerns,a US decision to send fighter-jets or bombers or even ground troops to Syria, won't be because Washington is suddenly worried about Syrian civilians.

George Galloway on the irony of al-Qaeda -- supposedly America's motivation for the 'war on terror' and for the Afghanistan war -- now being on the same side as the United States in Syria.

Syrians should hope and pray they are lucky, like Iraq, to have an occupying military force — America — that "everyone on the ground" trusts to "manage the transition."

"Special forces advisers working alongside rebel commanders, with air support on call, "could be tactically and strategically decisive, as it proved in Afghanistan and Libya."

According to the New York Times, the Obama administration hopes that support for the Syrian opposition from the United States, Arab governments and Turkey will tip the balance.

If sanctions, arming of the opposition and dispatch of spies and supplies fail, Syria's 'friends' will rely on the armed oppositions' narrative to demand that the US launch an invasion.

Many of the "activists" and spokespeople in the Syrian opposition calling for military intervention are interlinked with the US and London – the very people who would be doing the intervening.

With al-Qaida officially declaring war on the Syrian regime, the de facto US-Saudi-al-Qaida-Israeli marriage of convenience against the anti-US "crescent" is quite startling.

Western governments are continuing to pour petrol onto the Syrian conflict while talking the language of peace and democracy and their desire to 'stop the bloodshed'.

Probably the only useful thing outside powers can do, would be to engage in serious new diplomacy, in which supporters of both the regime and the armed opposition participate.

Predictably, the usual European warmongering poodles of the William Hague kind have already stepped in, blaming Syria because Turkey violated Syrian airspace.

Barack Obama says: "We stand for principles that include universal rights for all people and just political and economic reform." Except when it comes to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.